Simple Dill Pickle Spears

Confession 2 of Cucumber Month: I don’t eat these, either. I know, I’m terrible. But I do trust my tried-and-true taste tester hubs that does happen to like pickles, and he thought very highly of them. I also made him a jar of “special” spicy pickles with a quartered jalapeño in it. Let me just tell you: don’t rub your nose after stirring that brine with your fingers, mmkay? Your nose will go numb.

This was my very first pickle attempt ever, and so I did a looooot of research beforehand. Mostly because the idea of “just leave it on the counter for 7 days” totally freaked me out. It’s fine. Just…Make a lot and if you lose a couple jars, so be it. There is no shortage of cucumbers in this house, so losing two was no biggie.

Second handy tip: you’ll need something “non-reactive” that will fit down inside your jars to hold the cucumbers in the brine. This was unbeknownst to me until it was nearly too late. I rigged some rectangular snack container lids to shove down in there. I’d recommend something better…Keeping them down is crucial so they don’t develop mold on the top. I also bought wide-mouth jars, ones that are cylindrical, like these.

Third handy tip: Have an expert fermenter friend. Mine happens to be Jared Toay, who owns Jared’s ProPops, a probiotic popsicle and soda operation here in town (they’re killer, buy them.). He is a huge proponent of gut health through the use of probiotics and fermented foods. He gave me the following notes on my first batch:

“It could definitely use a bit more spice to it, whether you decide to go for a spicier or more garlic or more dill. Make sure the temperature [of where you are fermenting] is not too hot. I keep mine in a center closet, away from most other things that could possibly give off heat. Lastly, they could be firmer. The way I use to keep them crisper is by adding tannins, which [are things like] grape leaves, horseradish leaves, etc. That goes a long way in keeping them fresh. Of course it could be that you might add a bit more starter (salt) as well.”

Screw your jars loosely and release the air every once in awhile so they don’t explode!

After 6 days or so (when they start looking “pickle-y,” you can go ahead and move them to the refrigerator. I’d toss them probably after a couple weeks.

Cucumber Kimchi

I hope you’re enJOYing your Cucumber Month! In case you missed the first recipe of cucumber month, you can find it here, or by clicking the photo on the right!